NAVYPEDIA

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Balder 1950s  

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Odin	1946- L03, 1950- F302		MV Horten	1938	17.1.1939	11.1939	captured by Germany 11.4.1940 (Panther), returned 5.1945, stricken 1959
Tor	1946- L04, 1950- F303		Fredrikstad Mekaniske	1938	7.9.1939	6.1940 // 5.1945	scuttled incomplete 9.4.1940, completed by Germany (Tiger), returned 5.1945, stricken 1959
Balder	1946- L05, 1950- F304		MV Horten	1938	11.10.1939	6.1940 // 5.1945	captured 9.4.1940 and completed by Germany (Leopard), returned 5.1945, stricken 1959

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	632
Displacement full, t	719
Length, m	74.0 pp 76.0 oa
Breadth, m	7.80
Draught, m	2.10
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 sets De Laval geared steam turbines, 3 Yarrow boilers
Power, h. p.	12500
Max speed, kts	30
Fuel, t	oil 100
Endurance, nm(kts)	3500(15)
Armament	Odin (and others as designed): 2 x 1 - 100/40 Bofors M36, 1 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors M36, 2 x 1 - 12.7/90, 1 x 2 - 533 TT, 4 DCT, 2 DCR, 24 mines Tor, Balder (as returned): 1 x 1 - 105/45 SK C/32, 1 x 1 - 37/83 SK C/30, 2 x 1 - 20/65 C38
Complement	75

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Project history

Destroyers (actually torpedo boats) of Sleipner class were first torpedo ships which has supplemented Norwegian Navy after almost twenty-years break, called as political and financial difficulties. At their designing the task was put to create the ship which, not too yielding to destroyers of neighbour countries and possessing sufficient seaworthiness, would be as small as possible in the sizes and, accordingly, cheaper. It is necessary to return due to the Norwegian shipbuilders: they could develop rather original ships, by armament structure practically not yielding to larger (almost twice) Swedish and German "opponents". To reach it it was possible for the account of  reasonable reduction of hull and machinery weights, and also some decrease of speed. Sleipners for the first time in national practice received longitudinal framing without double bottom. Last circumstance was partly indemnified by the big number of watertight bulkheads. Weight of machinery managed to be lowered as a result of raise of steam parameters.

Nevertheless, even these as a whole the successful ships could not disclaim a rule saying: attempt to squeeze a maximum of armaments into the minimum displacement conducts to loss invisible on a paper, but so appreciable qualities in practice: such as seaworthiness and stability. Sleipner notably yielded to her predecessors of Draug class by these factor. Three ships already built or being in a high degree of readiness it was decided to not rebuild, but three units of 2nd subgroup were redesigned, having 2 main guns instead of 3 and slightly lengthened hull.

Modernizations 5.

1945, Odin, when returned, was armed with 1 x 1 - 105/45 SK C/32, 1 x 1 - 37/83 SK C/30, 4 x 1 - 20/65 C/38

1952-1957, all: were armed by 3 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 21, 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 7, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 24 mines, nav. radar, type 144 sonar

Naval service

Odin surrendered to German troops 11.4.1940 at Kristiansand and commissioned by Kriegsmarine under name Panther. Tor at the moment of German intrusion passed trials. She was scuttled by crew 9.4.1940 in Fredrikstad harbour but salvaged by Germans and after repair commissioned them as Tiger. Balder was captured by German troops in unfinished condition in Horten 9.4.1940. She was completed by Germans as Leopard. After war Odin, Tor and Balder were returned to Norway and broken up in 1959